Sports are serious business.
On Under the Number, Brent Peus goes deep with the innovators driving the business of sport—from elite athletes and investors to visionary founders and executives.
Get inside the deals, trends, and disruptions reshaping the industry. Whether you’re a fan, entrepreneur, investor, or industry insider, Under the Number offers cutting-edge insights into the world of sports business.
Watch on YouTube:
🏈 ⚽️ 🏀 ⚾️ 🎾 🥍 🏐 ⛳️ Know an athlete or someone in sports business? Do them a favor—share this episode and help them stay ahead of the game.
The Connection:
I first met Chip at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego back in 2023, when he was still leading 2U (the business he co-founded, IPO’d, led as a public company for 10+ years, and at one point had over 4,000 employees). We reconnected in September at a Pro Athlete Community Business Combine in Austin, where I had a front-row seat to the action. It was at this event that I had the chance to meet Marques Colston and Kenyan Drake.
Quote of the Episode:
“[Professional athletes] are elite people who have had very difficult circumstances. The skillset they have is so strong—and it’s not their athletic ability, that’s table stakes. It’s grit, rigor, intelligence, drive, resilience. Everything that we hire for, they immediately have.”
Bet You Didn’t Know:
The average NFL career lasts just 3.5 years. For NBA players, it’s 5 years. Same for MLB. Not exactly the long run, is it?
Christopher “Chip” Paucek is a visionary leader and seasoned entrepreneur who has dedicated his career to revolutionizing education and empowering individuals to pursue life-changing opportunities. As the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Pro Athlete Community (PAC), Paucek spearheads connecting the biggest talent in sports with unparalleled educational resources, experiences, and vital personal connections, ultimately enabling them to passionately pursue and shape their futures.
Prior to becoming co-CEO of PAC, Paucek served as Co-Founder and CEO of 2U, Inc. During his 16-year tenure, Paucek architected the education technology company into one of the world’s largest online education providers, led a successful IPO in 2013, and grew the company to nearly $1 billion in annual revenue. His contributions earned him multiple accolades including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Goldman Sachs’s Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs Award, and recognition as one of America’s best chief executives by Institutional Investor magazine.
Paucek’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1993 when he co-founded Cerebellum Corporation, known for its award-winning PBS television show, Standard Deviants. He also served as CEO of Hooked on Phonics and managed the successful re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski in 2004.
With a BA from George Washington University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, Paucek is an active speaker on entrepreneurship and the global education and technology landscape. While Chip lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife (Gabbi), they stay closely connected to their two sons (Noah and Henry) at Syracuse University through a shared love of all things dogs, Florida, and the Miami Dolphins.
Bio via Pro Athlete Community (PAC)
For more information PAC, check out the website here.
ICYMI: Last week’s episode with Cooper Manning ⬇️
